Sweet cherry tree named &#39;IFG Cher-seven&#39;

ABSTRACT

This invention is a new and distinct sweet cherry tree variety denominated ‘IFG Cher-seven’. The new sweet cherry tree is characterized by producing large size dark red fruits having reniform shape and ripening in mid-season. The eating quality remains good after 40 days of cold storage. The fruit stems of ‘IFG Cher-seven’ remain green, have fresh appearance and have excellent attachment after 40 days of storage.

Latin name of the genus and species claimed: Prunus avium.

Variety denomination: ‘IFG Cher-seven’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new and distinct sweet cherry tree described and claimed hereinoriginated from open pollinated seeds of fruits of an unidentifiedvariety simply identified as row 18 tree 19 growing in a commercialorchard located near Delano, in Kern County, Calif. collected in May2001. The seeds were stratified, germinated and the resulting 59seedlings were planted in the field near Delano, Kern County, Calif. inApril 2002. The present variety of sweet cherry tree was selected as asingle plant in May 2005 and was first asexually propagated in January2006 by grafting onto Prunus mahalab rootstock. This propagule was foundto reproduce true-to-type by asexual propagation. All propagation wasdone near Delano, Kern County Calif.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The sweet cherry breeding program has as one of its objectives thedevelopment of new sweet cherry varieties that can maintain high qualityafter long storage and transit times. Sweet cherries shippedinternationally may require up to 40 days between harvest and final saleto the end consumer. Few cherry varieties can endure such long storagetimes and maintain good quality. The present variety is being releasedbecause of its improved storage ability and improved fruit quality afterlong term storage compared to existing sweet cherry varieties.

The new sweet cherry tree ‘IFG Cher-seven’ is characterized by producinglarge size dark red fruits having reniform shape. Fruits ripenmid-season, about seven days after the ‘Brooks’ variety (U.S. Plant Pat.No. 6,676) and about with the ‘Santina’ (Canadian PBR 1202), (notpatented in USA) variety. The ‘IFG Cher-seven’ has firm, medium acidfruit with an excellent cherry flavor. Fruits are more tolerant of raininduced cracking than ‘Brooks’ or ‘Santina’. The tree has a medium-highchilling requirement, somewhat higher than the ‘Brooks’ variety butsomewhat lower than the ‘Santina’ variety. It appears adapted to regionswhere ‘Santina’ can be grown commercially but is not adapted to lowerchill climates where the ‘Brooks’ variety is grown. Fruits of ‘IFGCher-seven’ have more desirable darker red skin and flesh than the‘Brooks’ variety and exhibits less pitting and stores better than the‘Brooks’ and ‘Santina’ varieties.

In comparison with the ‘Santina’, the fruit stems ‘IFG Cher-seven’remain substantially better with a greener, less shriveled appearanceand have much better attachment after 40 days of storage. The eatingquality is better than ‘Santina’ after 40 days of cold storage. Thefruit shape is reniform compared to the more heart shape of ‘Santina’.Fruits of ‘IFG Cher-seven’ show less tendency to crack on the stylar endas compared to the ‘Santina’ variety. ‘IFG Cher-seven’ isself-incompatible having S4S9 pollen alleles as compared to ‘Santina’,which is self-fertile having the S4 prime gene for self-fertility.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying photographic illustration in FIG. 1 illustrates in fullcolor ‘IFG Cher-seven’. The photograph was taken outdoors with indirectlighting. The colors are as nearly true as is reasonably possible in acolor representation of this type. An actively growing shoot tip can beseen in the upper portion of the drawing. Typical mature fruit, fruit incross section and cleaned and dried fruit pits are displayed in thelower half of the drawing.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Throughout this specification, color names beginning with a small lettersignify that the name of that color, as used in common speech, is aptlydescriptive. Color names beginning with a capital letter designatevalues based upon R.H.S. Colour Chart, published in 2001 by The RoyalHorticultural Society, London, England.

Throughout this specification, subjective description values conform tothose set forth by the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources(IBPGR) ‘Cherry Descriptor List’ (Prunus spp.) (1985) which wasdeveloped with full support from the Commission of the EuropeanCommunities (CEC) Programme Committee for Plant Disease ResistanceBreeding and the Use of Genebanks.

The descriptive matter which follows pertains to ‘IFG Cher-seven’ plantsgrown in the vicinity of Delano, Kern County, Calif. during 2016, and isbelieved to apply to plants of the variety grown under similarconditions of soil and climate elsewhere:

TREE

-   General:    -   -   Age.—9 yrs. old.        -   Height.—About 3.1 M when pruned.        -   Width.—About 3.5 M when pruned.        -   Vigor.—Moderately vigorous.        -   Density of foliage.—Medium.        -   Form.—Spreading.        -   Rootstock.—Prunus Mahaleb.        -   Resistance to.—Insects: Average typical of Prunus avium            species. Diseases: Average typical of Prunus avium species.        -   Chilling requirements.—High, similar to ‘Santina’.        -   Graft compatibility.—Good: produces compatible graft unions            with Prunus avium, ‘Mazzard’ seedling (non-patented) and            Prunus Mahaleb seedlings (non-patented).-   Trunk:    -   -   Diameter of 9 year old grafted limb, 20 cm from graft            union.—About 18.9 cm.        -   Lenticel size.—Medium.        -   Lenticel dimensions.—Length: About 1.3 cm. Width: About 0.4            cm.        -   Lenticel shape.—Elliptical shape oriented horizontally.        -   Lenticel color.—Greyed-green: 197C.        -   Trunk surface texture.—Rough.        -   Outer bark color.—The following colors were observed:            Greyed-purple: 187A and Greyed-orange: 166A.

BRANCHES

-   1-year old wood:    -   -   Vertical top growth length.—Long: About 90 cm.        -   Horizontal growth length.—Medium: About 54.8 cm.        -   Diameter.—Vertical growth: About 1.1 cm. Horizontal growth:            About 2.2 cm.        -   Internode length.—About 3.5 cm.        -   Number of lenticels.—Few.        -   Lenticel size.—Small.        -   Lenticel dimensions.—Length: About 0.1cm. Width: About 0.1            cm.        -   Lenticel shape.—Round.        -   Bark color.—Grey-brown: N199D.-   2-year old wood:    -   -   Length.—About 42.5 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 1.0 cm.        -   Internode length.—About 4.5 cm.        -   Number of lenticels.—Medium.        -   Lenticel dimensions.—Length: About 0.3 cm. Width: About 0.1            cm.        -   Lenticel shape.—Elliptical shape oriented vertically.        -   Bark color.—The following colors were observed: Brown: 200C            and N200C.

BUDS

-   Vegetative buds:    -   -   Shape.—Elongated.        -   Vegetative bud dimensions.—Length: About 1.0 cm. Width:            About 0.35 cm.        -   Vegetative bud burst.—About Feb. 14, 2016.-   Flower buds:    -   -   Flower bud dimensions.—Length: About 0.9 cm. Width: About            0.5 cm.        -   Shape.—Oval.        -   Placement.—At bud positions mostly 1 to 6 on 1-year wood.        -   Average number of flower buds on first year wood.—About 5.        -   Number of flower buds per spur on second year wood.—1 to 3.            Average: About 2.        -   Color.—The following colors were observed: Greyed-orange:            165A and 166B.        -   Flower bud burst.—Approximately Feb. 17, 2016.

LEAVES

-   Mature leaves:    -   -   Leaf dimensions.—Length: About 16 cm. Width: About 7.2 cm.        -   Leaf shape.—Ovate: Symmetric on both sides of central axis.        -   Shape of tip.—Acuminate: broadly.        -   Shape of base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Serrated: regular: rounded.        -   Surface texture.—Smooth.        -   Leaf profile.—Flat.-   Upper surface:    -   -   Upper surface pubescence.—None.        -   Upper leaf surface color.—Yellow-green: 147A.-   Lower surface:    -   -   Lower surface pubescence.—Sparse: all over.        -   Lower leaf surface color.—Yellow-green: 147B.-   Petiole:    -   -   Petiole dimensions.—Length: About 3.7 cm. Width: About 0.2            cm.        -   Upper surface of petiole color.—Greyed-purple: 187A.        -   Lower surface of petiole color.—Yellow-green: 147B.        -   Petiole groove.—Wide.        -   Petiole pubescence.—Sparse: only on upper surface.        -   Venation.—Arcuate.        -   Vein color.—Yellow-green: 146C.-   Glands:    -   -   Number of glands.—2.        -   Gland dimensions.—Length: About 0.27 cm. Width: About 0.2            cm.        -   Gland shape.—Globose.        -   Gland location.—On petiole.        -   Gland color.—Greyed-purple: 185A.        -   Leaf stipule.—Not present.

FLOWERS

-   -   -   Blooming period.—Similar to ‘Brooks’.        -   Blooming dates.—First Bloom: Feb. 22, 2016. Full Bloom: Feb.            29, 2016.        -   Number of flowers per cluster.—1 to 3: Average: About 2.        -   Corolla.—Composed of unfused petals, somewhat overlapping.        -   Corolla diameter.—About 3.0 cm.        -   Petal number.—5.        -   Petal length.—About 1.6 cm.        -   Petal width.—About 1.5 cm.        -   Margin waviness.—Medium.        -   Division of upper margin.—Notched.        -   Color of petal upper surface.—The following colors were            observed: White: 155D and N155D.        -   Color of petal lower surface.—The following colors were            observed: White: 155D and N155D.        -   Peduncle.—Length: About 1.0 cm. Width: About 0.13 cm.        -   Peduncle color.—The following colors were observed:            Yellow-green: 144A and 144B.        -   Number of sepals.—5.        -   Sepal length.—About 0.6 cm.        -   Sepal width.—About 0.4 cm.        -   Sepal shape.—Broad ovate.        -   Sepal color.—Upper surface: Yellow-green: 144B. Lower            surface: The following colors. were observed: Yellow-green:            144A and Greyed red: 181A.        -   Filament.—Length: 0.3 to 1.5 cm. Width: 0.3 mm.        -   Filament color.—White: N155A.        -   Anther color.—Greyed-orange: 163B.        -   Pollen color.—Greyed-yellow: 162A.        -   Pollen production.—Medium.        -   Self-compatibility of flowers.—Self-incompatible.        -   Flower compatibility group.—S4S9.

FRUIT

-   General:    -   -   Ripening period.—Mid-season: Approximately: May 5, 2016.        -   Use.—Fresh market.        -   Keeping quality.—Excellent.        -   % Titratable acidity.—About 0.83%.        -   Refractometer test.—Soluble solids: Brix: About 19.0.        -   Firmtech II (g/mm).—About 277.        -   Flavor.—Excellent.        -   Juice color.—Greyed-purple: 187A.        -   Juice amount.—Juicy.        -   Eating qualify.—Excellent.-   Stem:    -   -   Stem.—Length: About 3.2 cm. Width: About 0.3 cm.        -   Stem color.—Yellow-green: 146B.        -   Stem cavity.—Deep.        -   Stem retention during storage.—Excellent.        -   Stem storage quality.—Excellent.-   Berry:    -   -   Uniformity of size.—Slightly variable.        -   Shape.—Reniform.        -   Fruit weight.—About 12.1 gm.        -   Apical diameter.—About 2.6 cm.        -   Diameter across suture.—About 2.4 cm.        -   Diameter at right angle to suture plane.—About 2.9 cm.        -   Suture.—None.        -   Percent of excessively deep or split sutures.—About 0%.        -   Doubles.—About 0%.-   Skin:    -   -   Thickness.—Thin to medium.        -   Texture.—Smooth, tender.        -   Skin color.—Greyed-purple: 187A.        -   Tendency to tip crack.—Not susceptible.        -   Tendency to stem cavity crack.—Not susceptible.        -   Tendency to suture crack.—Somewhat susceptible.-   Flesh:    -   -   Texture.—Intermediate.        -   Color.—Greyed-purple: 187C.        -   Stone cavity color: Greyed-purple: N186C.-   Stone:    -   -   Shape.—Ovate.        -   Length.—About 1.2 cm.        -   Width across suture.—About 1.0 cm.        -   Width at right angle to suture plane.—About 0.74 cm.        -   Type.—Semi-free.        -   Surface texture.—Slightly rough.        -   Stone color when dry.—Orange-white: 159A.        -   Tendency to split.—None.        -   Base.—Rounded.        -   Apex.—Broadly pointed.        -   Ventral edge.—Suture protrudes prominently beyond the            horizontal plane of the base of the stone up to the            mid-point of the stone. The suture is subtended by 2 narrow            ridges converging at the base and apex of the stone.        -   Dorsal edge.—Somewhat prominent ridge with slight wing near            base, extending from base to apex.

What is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct variety of sweet cherry as hereinillustrated and described.